Fire on Dredger: Two Missing (China)

Two people are missing after a ship fire off the coast of South China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Saturday morning, local maritime authorities said.

The dredging vessel caught fire around 10 a.m. in sea waters about 5 km from a pier of a local power plant in the city of Beihai, according to the Beihai maritime rescue center.

Nine people who had been trapped on the vessel were rescued. Rescue work is ongoing for the two people who remain missing.

The 60-meter-long vessel was loaded with several tonnes of diesel. An investigation into the cause of the fire is under way.

In a related development,when their car rolled into a river in northwest China’s Qinghai Province on Friday night, local authorities said on Saturday.

The accident occurred when a car carrying six people veered off a rural road in Baoku Township in Datong Hui Autonomous County and rolled into Baoku River, leaving four of them drowned.

Local traffic police are investigating the cause of the accident.

[mappress]

Source: QNA, October 21, 2013